By Shan Maitra, Fiberlite Technologies President
We often receive interesting questions here on the blog and via our website Contact form. A recent inquiry from an architect, who brings up a few interesting topics, is worth sharing for other industry professionals and consumers.
Jack R Asked:
I am an architect in Kansas City. I would like to see a sample specification for the installation of your product. I would also like to know what is the transport gas used for installation. Is compressed air used for the insulation when blown through nozzles transferred or applied by compressed air. If that is the answer it is the right answer, from my point of view. The characteristics that makes your product good in my application are the gap sealing properties. What can you tell me specifically about gap sealing. I am also concerned about the moisture trapping characteristics of the cellulose. Please advise.
ANSWER: The first question is easy: our website has a section exclusively for Industry Professionals where they can register to access a variety of technical data and specifications.
The gas questions is an interesting one. As far as I am aware, insulation contractors do not use compressed air during installation. I have asked insulators this exact question and if they report differently, I will share more on the subject here on our Blog.
As far as gap sealing, our spray applied insulation fills the entire cavity. It doesn’t leave any room for gaps or cavities for air pockets to exist within the cavity. We recommend that the building is first air sealed with caulk to fill the joints, cracks and corners for maximum effectiveness.The perception about moisture trapping may not be accurate. Cellulose insulation by its very nature does not trap moisture but it allows for moisture to migrate throughout insulation. This is not a plastic or water resistant product, so the moisture is not stuck or trapped in one location. Instead, it will migrate as the cellulose insulation wicks the moisture away from its source. If you have standard OSB on the exterior side and sheetrock on the interior, the moisture will eventually evaporate out of the cavity.
Great questions. Have something on your mind about FTI Products or cellulose insulation, post a comment on any Blog Story or send us a question from the website.